Urban Design 5. Focus Areas

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1 Urban Design 5 The Development Guidelines and Streetscape Standards established in this chapter will ensure that new development in the Station Area corresponds to, supports, and accomplishes the vision and goals set forth in this document. These Guidelines and Standards promote vibrant and attractive new development, streetscape improvements, and public gathering places. The Development Guidelines and Streetscape Standards serve as the primary authority for all design issues in the Station Area, regardless of whether they are addressed in San Mateo s Zoning Code. Although no conflicts are anticipated with other documents, should any arise these Development Guidelines and Streetscape Standards shall take precedence over the Code, and by extension the San Mateo Rail Corridor TOD Plan and El Camino Real Master Plan, where either one applies in the Station Area. Any projects not within a designated area described in this chapter are subject to the existing regulations in the City s Code. The multi-family residential areas off of El Camino Real are not the subject of focus of the design guidelines in this chapter, as the City s Multi-Family Design Guidelines address that type of development. The Development Guidelines and Standards contain language that reflects the following principles: Shall or Must indicate a design standard and means that conformance is mandatory. Should or Strongly Encouraged mean that conformance will be strongly encouraged by the City through the review process and that the guideline is intended to be a recommendation about how to implement the goals for development. Focus Areas The Design Guidelines and Streetscape Standards are created to bring to fruition the urban design concepts proposed in the focus areas below. These concepts embody the Guiding Principles and are illustrative of the type of development and public improvements that are envisioned for the implementation of this Station Area Plan. Following a discussion of the focus areas in this section, specific development standards and streetscape standards are listed in the sections that follow. 55

2 5 Urban Design Station Area Sidewalks In areas of high pedestrian activity, sidewalks should be considered to have four zones: edge, furnishing, pedestrian, and frontage. The edge zone is the area where the sidewalk transitions to the street, providing space for motorized vehicles and for passengers to get in and out of vehicles. The furnishing zone is the area of the sidewalk housing street trees, street furniture, and lights. The throughway zone is the segment of the sidewalk set aside for pedestrian travel. Finally, the frontage zone is where the transition to private property takes place, where the doors and windows of buildings facing the sidewalk open onto the public right-of-way. Edge Zone Furnishings Zone Throughway Zone Frontage Zone El Camino Real El Camino Real is envisioned as a bustling corridor that serves as an efficient transportation thoroughfare and vibrant focus of activity, lined with consistent storefronts, an attractive streetscape, and a lively mix of residential and office uses. The development pattern will be significantly improved to promote livability in the Station Area. Figure 5-1 depicts how well-designed, human-scaled buildings line the street edge, replacing large parking lots and auto-oriented development and providing a more pleasant and active environment. Buildings will have a strong presence and contribute to a sense of place. While the rightof-way (ROW) and curb-to-curb widths of El Camino Real will remain wide to provide for heavy vehicular traffic, improvements can be made to make it a more pleasant environment for pedestrians. From 25 th to 31 st Avenues, a landscaped median, enhanced crossings, and streetscape improvements are proposed, as shown in the section in Figure 5-2. While the Plan envisions a bustling corridor north of 31 st Avenue, there is a strong need to provide the setting for feasible affordable housing development at appropriate places. To this end, the Plan has policies supportive of residential-only buildings south of 31 st Avenue, fronting El Camino Real. Figure 5-3 shows a plan of a potential residential development at the corner of 36 th Avenue and El Camino Real. This potential development illustrates how housing could be designed to face onto El Camino Real while creating livable homes. It shows buildings raised a half-story above the street and includes an interior courtyard. 56 City of San Mateo Hillsdale Station Area Plan

3 Palm Pl Urban Design 5 Development on large parcels will include pedestrian paseos to ensure mobility and accessibility while providing opportunities for an enhanced public realm. Figure 5-4 shows how the existing alley, Palm Place, can be integrated into a larger mixed-use development and be featured as a pedestrian paseo. These pedestrian paseos will be places of small gatherings and nooks of commerce. Figure 3-4 in Chapter 3 is a visual simulation illustrating a potential look and feel of a pedestrian paseo. Figure 5-1: Potential Building Footprints and Parking at Plan Buildout 24th Ave Saratoga Dr 26th Ave Lula Belle Ln W. 25th Ave Mary Lu Ln Palm Ave E. 25th Ave Delaware St Portola Dr Palm Ct Delmar Wy Garfield Ct 26th Ave Lula Belle Ln W. 25th Ave Mary Lu Ln 24th Ave Palm Ave E. 25th Ave Delaware St 27th Ave Portola Dr Palm Pl Palm Ct Delmar Wy Garfield Ct Juniper St Briar Ln Arbor Ln Hacienda St Louise Ln 28th Ave Garfield St Flores St 29th Ave 30th Ave Sylvan Ave Arrowood Ln Hickory Ln Chestnut Ln Edison St S. El Camino Real 31st Ave RELOCATED CALTRAIN STATION Plan Area Boundary Plan Area Boundary Existing Train Station Existing Train Station Building Building Parking Parking Parking Structure Mc Lellan Ave Curtiss St Juniper St Briar Ln Arbor Ln Hacienda St Louise Ln 27th Ave 28th Ave Garfield St Flores St 29th Ave 30th Ave Sylvan Ave Arrowood Ln Hickory Ln Chestnut Ln Edison St S. El Camino Real 31st Ave Mc Lellan Ave Edison St Edison St Hillsdale Blvd Winway Cir 37th Ave Hillsdale Blvd 36th Ave Pacific Blvd San Benito St N O R T H Poinsettia Ave Winway Cir Otay Ave 37th Ave Plan Area Boundary Existing Train Station Feet Building Parking Existing building footprints and parking. A before and after comparison of the development pattern in the Station Area reveals a more walkable block-pattern and more buildings developed to the edge of the street, enhancing the pedestrian experience on El Camino Real. 36th Ave Pacific Blvd San Benito St Poinsettia Plan Area Boundary Existing Train Station Building Parking Hillsdale Station Area Plan City of San Mateo 57

4 5 Urban Design Figure 5-2: El Camino Real Street Sections Existing 4 TURN BIKE TURN MEDIAN 8 WI WIDE SHOULDER 115 Potential Feet City of San Mateo Hillsdale Station Area Plan

5 Urban Design 5 Figure 5-2: El Camino Real Street Sections Potential Intersection at 31 st Avenue 4 TURN BIKE TURN MEDIAN 8 WI WIDE SHOULDER 115 Figure 5-3: Potential Residential Development at El Camino Real and 36 th Avenue LAUREL CREEK B A A A TOWNHOUSES WI FRONT STOOPS ON (4-5 ABOVE GRADE) COURTYARD 30 GARAGE 40 SECTION A B 30 MEWS MEWS SECTION B B 36 AVENUE ENTRY/ EXIT Hillsdale Station Area Plan City of San Mateo 59

6 5 Urban Design East-West Avenues The east-west avenues will connect the Station Area to established residential neighborhoods in the west and Bay Meadows I and II in the east. They will extend the type of building and street character desired along El Camino Real in order to establish a cohesive Station Area identity. They include 28 th and 31 st Avenues, while 25 th Avenue is a separate focus area described below. A street section illustrating both 28 th and 31 st Avenues between El Camino Real and the train tracks is shown in Figure 5-5 and a street section illustrating 31 st Avenue as it passes through the Hillsdale Shopping Center is shown in Figure 5-9. Figure 5-4: Potential Pedestrian Paseo Development along Palm Place ING RETAIL 25 AVENUE ING RETAIL 30 WIDE CARRIAGE WAY PALM PLACE PEDESTRIAN PASEO C B 50 ENTRY/ EXIT RETAIL PARKING RETAIL SECTION GARAGE NEW RETAIL WI RESIDENTIAL ABOVE 60 City of San Mateo Hillsdale Station Area Plan

7 Urban Design 5 Figure 5-5: Potential 28 th and 31 st Avenues East of El Camino Real NEW BUILDING NEW BUILDING 12 W/ BICYCLE FACILITY TURN / CENTER COLUMN Or as provided in the Bicycle Master Plan Transit Center A Transit Center with adjoining TOD is proposed for the parcels between the Peninsula Station development and the future 31 st Avenue extension. The Transit Center will be the activity hub of the Station Area, providing direct and safe rider access to Caltrain and serving as an intermodal hub between separate transit systems. This Plan presents a Transit Center Program, and an alternate 31 st Avenue Alternative Program is included in Appendix B to the Plan. A detailed examination of the program is presented in Chapter 6. As shown in Figure 5-6, the Transit Center Program incorporates an internal bus turnaround to provide a direct transfer point for different modes of transit. The new Caltrain Station is located midblock to accommodate this feature, and as a result, pedestrian and vehicular circulation is centrally oriented. Well-designed parking areas, including a parking garage, and well-lit, clearly marked pedestrian paths and bicycle access will be integrated within the enhanced transit circulation system to efficiently and safely provide direct routes for commuters from their cars to the station platform. The Transit Center s central location and plaza will also provide the backdrop for a local meeting place, designed as flexible space for various community gatherings. Hillsdale Station Area Plan City of San Mateo 61

8 5 Urban Design Figure 5-6: Transit Center Program PHASE I SEPARATE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT PHASE II PARKING GARAGE ON BAY MEADOWS PARCEL Kiss and Ride and Short Term Parking STATION AERIAL VIADUCT STRUCTURE Shuttle PLATFORM PLATFORM Underpass at 31st Avenue Ramp up Bus Parking Bus Parking PLAZA PARKING GARAGE FOR RETAIL AND TRANSIT PARKING GARAGE FOR RESIDENTIAL 31 ST AVENUE RESIDENTIAL ABOVE Taxi RETAIL 7,000 s.f. RETAIL 5,000 s.f. 5 setback Bus shelters Street entry to parking garage Garage access Bus shelters (Exact location to be determined) Key Intersections The intersections of El Camino Real with 28 th and 31 st Avenues and Hillsdale Boulevard provide opportunities to create distinctive places through consistent treatment of all four corners. Development on all corners of each intersection is encouraged to carve out setbacks to create vibrant and intimate spaces. Integrated together they will create a larger, cohesively planned open area. Figure 5-7 shows how development can frame a conceptual urban open space at 28 th Avenue and El Camino Real. Where corner open space proves difficult to achieve due to site constraints, the key intersection node concept can also be achieved using vertical corner features on the buildings, resulting in a similarly cohesive treatment of these important intersections. 62 City of San Mateo Hillsdale Station Area Plan

9 Urban Design 5 Figure 5-7: Conceptual Urban Open Space Configuration Laurel Creek Laurel Creek is an important asset to the Station Area, providing residents and workers opportunities for an outdoor meeting area in a creek setting. Currently, the creek is underutilized as it is largely hidden behind commercial development and is fenced off from abutting residential properties. In this Plan, setbacks in new development abutting the creek will help create a more recreation-friendly environment along the creek. Development is encouraged to orient design and landscaping treatments to Laurel Creek. Figure 5-8 is a close-up of the residential development at the corner of 36 th Avenue and El Camino Real, showing its relationship with the creek. Hillsdale Shopping Center The Hillsdale Shopping Center is an important asset to the Station Area as a regional retail and employment center. As the largest property in the Station Area, it also has a strong influence on the overall character and experience along El Camino Real and the Hillsdale Station Area Plan City of San Mateo 63

10 5 Urban Design Figure 5-8: Potential Development at 36 th Avenue and El Camino Real, with Relationship to Creek PEDESTRIAN/BIKE TRAIL LAUREL CREEK CREEKSIDE OPEN SPACE TOWNHOUSES WI FRONT STOOPS ON (4-5 ABOVE GRADE) east-west avenues. This Plan proposes guidelines for pedestrian-scaled improvements for portions of the Shopping Center facing public right-of-ways, strengthening the cohesiveness of the Station Area. It also encourages modification of the bridge over 31 st Avenue, providing opportunities for more light to penetrate to the street and create an open and vibrant street-level experience. As shown in Figure 5-9, Hillsdale Boulevard is proposed to include small-scale ancillary commercial buildings in the current parking lot to help build a consistent street wall, if this is feasible given retail standards and parking requirements. The bookends of the existing parking garage along El Camino Real are envisioned to be remodeled to include ground floor retail or restaurant uses to activate the street previously dominated by parked cars. These recommendations are intended to provide encouragement for an enhanced interface between the Shopping Center and the public realm. They are not intended to propose wholesale changes to the existing configuration of the Shopping Center. In the event that the Shopping Center is partially or completely redeveloped, it is anticipated that a Master Development Plan for the entire site will be developed. The Plan is meant to be flexible enough that the Master Development Plan could support the vision and goals of this plan using different solutions than proposed here. 64 City of San Mateo Hillsdale Station Area Plan

11 Urban Design 5 Figure 5-9a: Existing 31 st Avenue West of El Camino Real ING PARKING STRUCTURE ING SURFACE PARKING MEDIAN/ TURN Figure 5-9b: Potential 31 st Avenue West of El Camino Real Feet NEW GROUND FLOOR RETAIL NEW RETAIL DEVELOPMENT TURN MEDIAN/ TURN TURN 2 Bicycle facilities as provided in the Bicycle Master Plan and/or in accordance with Policy TRA-5.3 LINE Hillsdale Station Area Plan City of San Mateo 65